Fire-escape.



PATENTED JULY 4, 1905.

J. C. COVERT FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILBDSEPT.19.1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JULY 4, 1905.

J. G COVERT.

HEB ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. 1904.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2,

Wi-bmwom I uf7hafmzf PM? Jwm 6 64042 2"? No. rear "re.

lthvrrieiei WWW- Patented July it, 1905.

li afriljrrir ljlrricn.

JAMES U. CUVERI, OF rVllltil. 'illtUY. NEW YORK.

QPEGIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,?70, dated July d, 1905.

Application filed September 19,1904. Serial No. 225,097.

lie it known that l. Janus (J. Uovnn'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vest .l.roy. in the county of Albany and State oi New York, have invented certain new and useful lmpr i vements in ll ire-l lsca ics, of which the l ollowingis a specification, ret'erence being bad therein to the acconmanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improvement in lire-escapes, and is embodied in the constrnction and arrangement of parts [)FCSm'ltly to be described, and defined in the claims.

The invention relates more particularly to that type or character of lire-escapes now known as foot and hand rail type---that is to say. a construction for equipping buildings which consists of a rail which extends across the front of the building and on which a person can stand and a rail commonly known as a lewd-rail" located a convenient distance above the standing or foot rail. Such a con struction is illustrated in my former patent, No. 712,504, dated November t. 1902.

llrom experience in manufactoring l have ascertained that commercially it is very dc sirable to have a ladder structure so composed or constructed that the various vertical link portions will remain substantially vertical, so as to get as much toot-space as possible without materially increasing the width ol the ladder, and, 'lurther, to provide a member ol the ladder with suitable seats of loop portions inter-engaging with corresponding loops or seats ol the adjacent; member, thus avoiding lateral displacement. it has also been lound that in equipping buildings with the lire-escape it is desirable to avoid the use ol a multi tude ol securing belts or screws and yet necessarily to have a rigid attaching connection for the ladder members with the building or support. It has also been found dc sirable to form the lnackct-supporting members for the [cot and hand rails so that the base or securing part will constitute a unit and the supporting-arm also a unit detachable l'rom the base. This enables the con structor to lirst equip the building with the base unit and thereafter easily anril readily apply the rails and the supporting bracket or arm members.

The above-relierred-to improven ien ts are the objects ol the present invention in addition to other features, which will be presently described.

in the accompanying drawings .i have shown a structure embodying the various features of the invention; but manifestly the coustructions can be departed from or modilied in various particulars without necessarily departing from the nature and principle of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation ol. a portion ol a structme, showing a hand and foot rail and a section of the ladder in their respective positions. Fig. 2 is a detail view of a section of the ladder. Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof, showing parts in section. .llig. a is a bottom plan view of the securing-bar. Fig. 5 is a detail view oi. the lower section of the ladder. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the lower part of the lad der. showing the lower cross-inn in section. Fig. 7 is a side elevation ol. the upper member of the ladder, showing the parts in section. Fig. 8 is a side elevation oi. the bracket. showing the base member or unit in section. Fig. 9 is a cross-section through the line 9 5) ol" .llig. 8, and llig. 10 is a front elevation of the bracket.

The wall of the building or structure is .in dicated at A. broken away in parts, and on the face thereof below the window ii is a handrailtl, while I) designates the l oot-rail. located a short distance below the hand-rail. These two rails extend From the esca )ing-larlder E to any desirable point on the building, conveniently below the line ol windows. .l have found it convenient in the present developments oi. this invention to terminate the two rails at the ladder, placing adjacent the ladder suitable supporting-brackets, as shown iii Fig. l.

The lire-escapc designed as a permanent fixture for a building, and with that end in view n'ianil'estly it is necessary to equip the building in a substantial and permanel'it lashion. and yet with a view 01" expediting the co ui nnent many req ui remcnts are nemissarily to be considered. With this end in view I have Found it advantageous to .l'orin the sup porting-brackets of two members. The base or attaching member (designated at F) consists of a casting having a base portion formed with two openings at or near the upper and outer corners or ends thereof, as shown in Fig. 10. The bracket below these openings is extended down to form a tailpiecef', and at the center of the bracket is a curved retaining and clamping bar f", between which and the base of the member F is fashioned or provided a space into which the toe of the supporting-arm member extends. This bar f is inclined inwardly from its upper edge, thus forming a wedge-shaped recess between the same and the base, and for convenience in manufacturing the space immediately below the bar is left vacant, as indicated in Fig. 8. These base or securing members F are secured to the buildin g by expansion bolts or screws or other convenient means passing through the apertures in the upper part of the member, while the tailpiece serves as a fulcrum point upon which pressure is centered, the same beingresistcd by the attaching-bolts. Such a structure forms a very secure and exceedingly simple member.

G designates the supporting-arm, formed with an oblique portion having a substantially cylindrical seat at its outer end and having its inner end formed with an extended toe part 9, inclined on its outer face and fashioned to correspond with the shape of the inner-seat portion of the base member. This toe part is designed to pass into the space between the base part of the member F and the bar f and there be wedged into a holding position. To securely seat the toe in the base member, a suitable heel 7" is provided on the supporting arm,against which force can be applied to force the toe firmly into position. 1 have found it convenient in this construction to provide a removable key, as at which passes in between the side of the toe part and the bar f". This key serves largely as a means to take up any looseness which may possibly occur and prevent rattling, as well as serving as an additional means for normally fixing the parts against separation.

The rails are passed into the cylindrical seats g and are composed conveniently of gas, water, or ordinary commercial piping. They are secured against turning and are held fixedly in the seats by any suitable means, conveniently by keys, as indicated at 7/, Fig. 8, driven in between the same and the walls of the supporting-arm, a suitable groove being provided in the latter.

The above construction refers largely to the rail feature of the invention, and in this connection the workman first places the basepieces in their proper positions, thereafter sleeving the supporting-arms on the pipe, and then moves the respective arms to the various brackets or supports and position the same therein. This can be done very readily. The

parts are thereafter securely keyed in position if found necessary.

The ladder structure which 1 shall now describe comprehends in its structure a series of sections similar in some respects to those mentioned in my former aforementioned patent; but each section comprises in the present instance two parallel vertical side bars H, united at their upper ends by cross-bars H, the corners being bentoutwardly and slightly upward to form upwardly and outwardly curved seating portions 7)., as shown in Fig. 2. The lower portions, as shown in Fig. 3, are curved outwardly and downwardly and thence back and upward a short distance and finally are carried at an angle rearward, their extreme ends being turned down, the outwardly and downwardly and upwardly extending portions constituting a seat if, while the downturned end portions constitute the securing ends it". Each section of the main portion of the ladder is similar or a duplication of the other, so that, in assembling, the seating portions 71,- receive the corresponding or interengaging seating portions It of the adjacent members, thereby forming what may be properly termed a double lock for the joint of the respective members. This feature I regard as important, in that it serves to maintain the ladder-sections in their proper relative position and also affords the maximum foot-space between the upright side bars. It is necessary in this type of fire-escape ladder to secure the ladder fixedly to the building, thereby preventing outward movement, which would tend to frighten parties descending thereon. \Vith this end in view and with a view of securing a substantial support for each section and to securing a substantially permanent structure I provide a single-piece clamp J, having its outer ends of hook formation and designed to take over the end pieces lafof the ladder-sections. These barsJ are positioned adjacent to the horizontal rearwardly-extending portions of the sections and are fixedly secured by boltsj or other means to the building, the said bolts being arranged conveniently at opposite ends adjacent to the hooked end portions, as shown in Fig. 2. By this means the ladder is not only held against vertical but also against lateral deflection or movement when the person is on the ladder. The upper round of the ladder is fashioned substantially as stated in my aforesaid patent, with the exception that the upper part, as well as the lower part, of the section is secured by a bar similar to bar J, above described. The bars I require but two belts or securing members, and thus avoid n'iaterially the defacement of the building and render the act of application less laborious and expensive. The lower section of the ladder is provided with a fixed permanent cross-bar K, the loops or seats 1- being more pronounced than the loops if and form retaining and locking seats for warm the bar hi, preventii'ig tralisverse movmnent thereof, while the bar K is headed, connecting permanently at one end, the other end being provided with a suitable nut 7* :for attaching purposes, as shown .in Fig. Uther construction oil? bar manifestly can be employed.

ln operation the ladder-sections can be secured in sections to a building, while the rail parts, as above stated, can be very easily applied at comparatively small expense. The party seelzi ng escape by the li re-escape reaches out of the window, grasps the handrail, swings down until his feet reach the 'l oot-rail, and thence moves along until, he reaches the ladder, escaping thereby.

.l. will make no claim herein to the hand or foot rails and the means for securing them in place, inasmuch as this I'l'lltlilKJl more properly constitutes the subject for a divisional application.

llaving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

l. in a lire-escape l or l'mildings, ladder-sections to be secured to the building, each section comprising a cross-bar and vertical parallel side bars, said sectiolis havii'ig transverse and down wardly bent seating portions at their lower ends and inwardly-extei'iding support ing parts, and the upper portion of said sections between the cross-bar and the side bars being ollset transversely and vmtically and extending upwardly beyond the horizontal plane of said cross-bar to form seats, substantially as described.

2. in a lire-esca] ie ladder-secti0ns eomprising parallel side bars and a cross-bar, a portion of the material between the cross-bar and the side. bars being bent outwardly, upwardly beyond the horizontal plane o|.' said crossbar and downwa1.dly to term curved seats the ends of the side bars being bent outwardly at right angles to the upper or other seat portions, thence donuiwardly, back and upward to form seating parts, the ends 01 said side bars being extended rearwardly.

ln a lire-escape for buildings, a ladder member comprising a series of indepemlent sections, each having side bars and curved seats lormed at the opposite ends 01. the side bars and a cross-bar, the ends of the side bars being extended inwardly and bent down-- \vardly, and locking bars having hooked" shaped extremities ei'igaging over the downwardly-extended parts ol the side bars, and means For securing the said locking-bars to the building.

4-. in a lire-escape lor lmildings, the combination with a ladder member composed of a series o]. independent sections each section having side bars and curved seating parts at the opposite ends of the side bars, said side bars being extended rearward and thence (.lownward, in combination with securing means consisting o'l bars extending from one downwardly extending portion to the other and having hooked-shaped extren'lities en|- bracing the rlownwardly-extending parts ol the side bars, and means between the ends ol' the securing-bars For attaching the same to the building.

5. .ln a ll1P-()SC:t])0, a ladder member com-- prising a series oi imlependent sections ongaging each other, said section having side bars and means For securing the individual sections to the building consisting of bars hav-- ing attaching parts located wholly belaveen the side bars 01' the respective sections and having luilolced-shaped extremities engaging over a part ol the said sections. su l)stantially as described.

('3. in a lireescape, a ladder-section having side bars and an integral cross-bar, the lower ends ol the said bars being bent to form, eircular locking-seats. and a cross-bar litted in said seats having a head at one end and a re movable fastening device at the opposite end.

T. ln a lire-escape, a laddsiw-section having rigid side bars bent to Form locking-seats, and a cross-bar litted in said seats havinga head at one end and a removable lastening device at the opposite end.

8. in a lire-escape, a hulder-section having rigid side bars bent to Form locking-seats, and a reniovahle locking device engagii'ig said seats to connect said side bars, and means for clamping said locking device upon said side bars.

3). In a lire-escape, a hulder-section having side bars provided. with inwardly-extemling ends and il'itermediate seat portions,means for securing said ends in place and srmporting the same, and a locking device engagingand clamped to said intermediate seat portions.

10. A. lire-escrwe comprising a phnality ol sections the adjoiniiig sections having inter locking portions and each section having in ardly-extending ends, and locking and supporting means For each section engaging the inwardly-extending ends thereof, said devices terminating siibstainaally llush with the out side edges oi the ladder, and meanslocated wholly intermediate the sides ol the sections for securil'ig said locking and supporting means in place.

in testimony whereof I: allix my sigmtture in presence ol two \viti'iesses.

'l A. hl ES (3. CO V it it'll. W itnesses:

L. ts. lmoon, lihnviu b. Umnnson'. 

